We Go Together
by lightpikachu08
Summary: Joshua, Yoshiya Kiryu, the composer of Shibuya was ready to take on any punishment that the higher ups would give him. A week in the RG didn't seem so bad, but when they mentioned that he would return in a different form, he was not expecting this. Josh/Neku friendship, the only pairing is Neku/Shiki.
1. I'm Here

… _I see… _

He blinked as a breeze of wind brushed his face. He took a deep breath through his nostrils and breathed out through his mouth, his tongue rolling out afterwards.

_So this is how they'll punish me…_

He panted lightly as his body began to heat up; the action was automatic to him. His ears twitched, feeling annoyed.

… _What an idea…_

He stretched his tiny body, his long white fur separated slightly before he sat back down. He glanced at his furry white paws and seeing tiny droplets of drool in between them, _how disgusting, _he thought.

Sssssssssssssss

Joshua, Yoshiya Kiryu, the composer of Shibuya was ready to take on any punishment that the higher ups would give him. A week in the RG didn't seem so bad, but when they mentioned that he would return in a different form, he was not expecting this.

In the early morning on Sunday, the day his punishment begins, he went to visit his best and only friend, Sanae Hanekoma, the owner of Wildkat Café and a well known graffiti artist known as CAT. He was also his producer in the UG and has helped him through many tough trials in both UG and RG. Back then, almost nobody wanted to be his friend because of his gift. Being able to see the dead is quite unusual and strange to others. Because of that, he was often picked on, and that is where Sanae came in, on that one rainy day.

Joshua had a lot to thank him for. Without Sanae, he wouldn't have known about the UG and the rise to become composer of Shibuya. He wouldn't have had anyone to talk to about his problems, or anyone to talk too about his sight, and despite knowing him for years, today was the first day he learned about his allergic reaction to dogs.

_~flashback~_

_Sanae whistled as he rubbed the wet towel all over the tops of the tables, sweeping any leftover crumbs or dirt that he missed last night. After a long while, he was glad to have the café up and running again, adding something new here and there. However, with the new improvements, he still had little to no customers. _

_Having cleared all of the tables, he began to observe his surroundings, grinning as he did so. It was until something rather small and puffy caught his eye as he looked at the entrance of the café. Just outside was a white long haired dog, staring back at him. He tilted his head in confusion then sighed. Walking towards the door, he snatched a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it over his nose and mouth, then opened the door and glared down at the dog, "hey! Get outta here!" he growled as he kicked some dirt on him. The dog growled back, its ears flat against its head, "really Sanae?" it spoke, "is that anyway to treat your reoccurring customers?"_

_Sanae blinked in surprise, "you can talk?" he said as he kneeled to take a closer look at it, "good, you can understand me," said the dog. _

_Sanae stared at it for awhile longer, then suddenly realizing who it was, he threw his head back and laughed. The only thing that gave it away was it's violet eyes, a very unusual eye color for this kind of species, let alone breed, "Josh!... is that you?!" he said between laughs. _

_He glared angrily at the bean loving man until Sanae let out a huge sneeze. Joshua jumped back slightly as he began laughing and sneezing all over. He growled in annoyance, causing Sanae to calm himself down. He took off his sunglasses to wipe the streams of tears from his eyes from laughing too much, "I'm sorry J. it's just… I didn't think, the big boss would do this to ya," he said, covering his mouth and nose with the handkerchief again, "and it looks like you're getting the hang of walking on all fours,"_

"_I hate the way how it feels," said Joshua as he looked down at his tiny paws, "but listen, if you don't mind, I need a place to stay for the week that I'm in this form."_

_Sanae sneezed again and grabbed onto the door handle for support, "sorry kid," he snivled, "but there's a reason why I prefer cats over dogs. I'm allergic to em'"_

"… _You've never told me that before,"_

"_heh, you never asked," Sanae chuckled and stood up, "you're going to have to find a different place to stay."_

_Joshua let out a dog whine and glanced at the ground, "I see. Then I guess it can't be helped."_

"_I'm really sorry J. but hey! It's only going to be for a week right? It'll go fast and soon you won't have to be walkin' around and lookin' like that."_

_~end of flashback~_

_Easy for you to say, _Joshua looked up at the blue sky, wishing that time would fast forward. He blinked in surprise as his stomach started rumbling. This was also a big concern to him, knowing that if he was taken to a home, he'd be fed dog kibble and canned food for dogs instead of cooked meals like curry and ramen, ESPECIALLY ramen. _But then again, _he thought, _I bet kibble isn't as bad as consuming food found in the garbage._

His ears drooped down at the thought of foraging in waste cans and tried thinking of another way to fill himself during his time in this form. Suddenly, a lone beetle fluttered in front of him, making a tiny thud as it landed. Surprised, Joshua moved his head a little closer to it and sniffed it lightly, _maybe… I could live off bugs._

He shivered at the thought of eating such a thing, making him shake his fur in the process and startling the bug. He gasped as the beetle took to the sky and flew away. He stood up from his spot, as if to chase after it, but knew it would be impossible. So instead, Joshua watched it fly off in the distance towards something that caught his eyes. He stared wide at the person, just a few feet away, walking towards Hachiko. It appeared to be a girl, about fifteen, with short black hair and a pin on one of the sides, glasses, and a green long sleeve that covered her white tank top, complete with a short white skirt and black Mary janes. She held a small white bag in her hands, and many people who walk around with small white bags often contain a sort of snack in them.

sssssssssssssssssssss

Shiki stared at her white bag as she made her way towards Hachiko, _I hope Neku likes these, _she thought. Unlike her talkative friend, Eri, Shiki was rather shier and quieter, unless it's about clothes, fashion and shopping.

She lifted her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she looked straight forward. Her eyes widened and paused in place as she caught sight of a small dog sitting next to the statue. Shiki tilted her head to the side, and then looked around to find the possible owner. Then again, if it had an owner, it would have been wearing a collar. She proceeded, walking closer to it, then smiled and knelt in front of the dog, "well hello there," said Shiki, "what are you doing here little fella? Where's your owners?" she looked from side to side and still, nobody approached her or even spared a glance. None of the people here were its owner.

"You look a little hungry," she said as she patted Joshua's white fluffy head. He perked up as he heard those words, his curly tail, waving side by side, "well… I was saving these for a special friend,"

_You mean Neku?_ Joshua thought.

"But I guess…" Shiki opened the bag delicately, then reached in and pulled out a round disc shaped snack, "here! It's a cracker, made with a variety of spices and seasonings. It's really good," she handed the cracker to Joshua and he automatically began sniffing at it. He paused realizing what he was doing, then shook his head, _ugh, I need to teach myself to resist such dog-like actions.. _

He took the cracker in his mouth and wolfed it down. He licked his chops afterwards, savoring the taste, _hmm… not bad. It actually tastes, pretty good!_

"Did you like it?" asked Shiki. Joshua nodded and found himself yapping then stopped, mentally cursing himself.

"Great! Here, you can have the whole bag!" she said, placing it down for him. Joshua looked at Shiki, and then back to the crackers, _is this really okay? Shiki, you are truly a life saver, _and with that, he stuck his muzzle in and chewed away like there was no tomorrow.

Shiki couldn't help but smile, unaware of who this dog really is. She stood up and patted the dust from her skirt until she heard her name being called. Joshua haulted for a moment, his ears listening in to that familiar voice, "hey! You're early this time Shiki,"

"Oh come on, I'm not late all the time, Neku."

Joshua shook the bag off his head and glanced up at the spiky orange haired teen, his fuzzy white face full of crumbs. Even without the headphones, Neku still looked the same since the games, with the same sleeveless shirt and shorts. Nekus eyes wandered down towards him, and Joshua couldn't help but stare back, "oh! Is this yours?" said Neku. Shiki shook her head, "nope, I found the dog just sitting here all alone,"

"That's strange,"

"I wonder who the dog belongs too," said Shiki as they both stared down at him. She giggled and knelt back down to scratch him behind the ears. Joshua suddenly felt his whole body grow weak, _what… is going… on? _His legs gave in and found himself lying on the ground, closing his eyes and letting his tongue flap about.

Feeling his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, Neku reached in for it and flipped it open, revealing a message, "who is it?" asked Shiki looking up from the dog to Neku. He replied, "It's from Beat,"

Just then, Rhyme had arrived, running towards them with her hands waving in the air. She stopped next to Shiki, and bent over to catch her breath, "hey guys," she said between breaths, "sorry, but, my big brother isn't coming today,"

"Yeah, I just got his message. Big fight with his parents again?"

Rhyme stared at the ground and nodded her head slowly. Shiki stood up from her spot and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rhyme looked at her, seeing Shiki smile and reassuring her that everything between them is going to be okay, "don't you worry, I'm sure Beat's been in this kind of trouble before, it's going fine,"

"I… I hope so," said Rhyme softly.

Shiki then became concerned, "was it really bad?"

"Not so much. But, I think Beat's finally learning some self control. At the end, he stopped talking back to them and stormed out of the living room and into his room. I just really hope he's okay though," Rhyme said.

Joshua sighed and somehow pulled on a doggy smile. He hardly heard a thing as his mind seemed to be focused on the rubbing behind his doggy ears from before. Dazed as he is, he half whispered, "Do… do that again."

Shiki and the others blinked upon hearing his voice, and started turning heads to find the source. Joshua, who quickly came back to reality, folded his paws on top of his mouth and clamped it shut. He looked from Shiki to Neku, and feeling a slight relief that they still hadn't found out it was him, _that was close, I better watch it next time._

The gang gave it up after a short while and continued on with their small talk. Rhyme had also asked about his doggy self and got the same answer as Neku.

As they were holding up a conversation, Shiki and Rhyme started moving inches away from the Hachiko statue. Neku, on the other hand, stood in place. The two girls looked back at him and wondered if he was coming along, "we're suppose to go to the park today, that was the plan remember?" said Rhyme. Neku glanced away as he placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it, "I remember, but… I'll catch up with you guys in a sec, I feel like staying here for awhile longer."

The two girls looked at each other, then back at Neku, "alright," said Shiki, "catch up with us soon okay?"

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssss

He stared, and just kept staring as people walked by, at an empty spot in the distance. He shifted his body a little as he was leaning against the Hachiko statue and continued staring. Joshua sat alongside him, shifting his gaze from the crowd of people to Neku and back. It was obvious to Joshua what Neku was doing, in fact, every day since the week the gang got together, Joshua would stand atop his building, watching them gather, and after that day, the same pattern would repeat, over and over again. The group would leave, but Neku would stay behind and wait for his appearance.

_Neku… why do you insist on waiting for me?_ He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath.

"… I'm, waiting for someone," Joshua heard Neku say, and turned to look up at him.

Neku stayed quiet for a short while, then looked down at him, "to me, the group just isn't the same without him." Neku then sighed and turned away.

This was as close to Neku as Joshua got since week 2 of the games, and for the first time, Joshua could see just how empty he seemed. Those eyes that were full of life when he was with Shiki and Rhyme, had suddenly vanished, "I don't know," Neku continued, "maybe it's just because… I miss him."

He checked the time on his cell phone and pushed himself off the statue, "… he didn't show up again…"

A whine came from Joshua's throat as he watched Neku turn his back to him. for some reason, he had the feeling to desperately call out and to tell him that he's always been there, "but… I'll keep waiting, until he does," Neku said and turned back around to face him, smiling, "he's my friend after all and whenever he needs me, then I'll be waiting, right here," he then stared out in the distance, still keeping that smile on his face, "he'll come, I just need to keep telling myself that," Neku whispered but loud enough for Joshua to hear.

sssssssssssssssssssssss

His ears drooped down again as he watched Neku blend into the crowd. A small whine came from him again, now having a sudden urge to run after the teen. His little paws moved on its own; walking slowly at first, and then picking up the pace, his tongue flapping out again in an up and down motion.

_But Neku… I'm here._


	2. Uncovered

"That is just the cutest thing ever!" squealed Shiki with Rhyme giggling along with her. They watched Neku walk around in circles with the little puff ball of a dog following him. The clicking of the nails on the paws tapped along with the soft thump of Nekus shoes, "it looks like the dog really likes you, what exactly did you do Neku?" asked Rhyme.

Neku lifted his shoulders as he answered, "I don't know. I mean. I was just talking to it for a short while, and suddenly I find it following me to the park,"

_How nice of you to call me an 'it' _Joshua thought as he followed Neku around, until he came to a stop, "I don't know what to do to make him stop following me," said Neku, waiting for an answer from the two girls.

Rhyme bent down to take a closer look at the dog, she patted her knees trying to call him over. Automatically, Joshua padded towards her and sat in front of her as she rubbed behind his ears, sending him, once again, into a peaceful state of mind. This time, he had the control to tune in on what the group was discussing. His ears moved back and fourth, then from side to side, listening in on the conversation.

"Well, by any chance, do you have any food on you?" asked Shiki to Neku. He shook his head and answered back, "no… but my mother did cook before I got to Hachiko,"

"That could be the reason," said Rhyme, "A dogs sense of smell is stronger than ours, and unlike us, they are able to obtain all information by just our scent. Most dogs are motivated by food; maybe it's your mothers' cooking that's motivating her to follow you."

_Oh goodie, so I'm a female now? _He padded right by Nekus side, wagging his tail and panting at the same time.

"It looks to me, like the dog wants to stay with you," said Shiki.

"no way," Neku grumbled, "it can't stay with me, my parents would be pissed if I brought home an animal. They're not pet people you know,"

"The dog can't stay with me, we live in a apartment that doesn't allow pets," Shiki responded, looking sadly at him. They both turned to Rhyme and she sighed, shaking her head, "sorry guys, she can't stay with Beat and I. We have a dog that isn't exactly dog friendly."

The three of them stood in silence, trying to come up with the best possible plan. Neku took another look at Joshua and sighed, "I guess… if my parents don't kill me, it can stay with me, for tonight," he mumbled, knowing full well that the Animal Shelter of Shibuya will be open for business the next day, "and then it's straight to the pound tomorrow."

The two girls were happy about Nekus decision. Joshua, on the other hand, wasn't so sure about having to spend the night at his ex-proxy's house. He turned away, thinking about their decision.

Sssssssssssssssss

Joshua followed behind the group as they walked around the park. He wanted so much to join in on their conversation, but he knew how weird it would be if he suddenly started talking. If he did, Neku would stare at him with a surprised expression on his face, Rhyme would be pretty freaked out as well, and Shiki would probably pass out.

A child had interrupted his thoughts, pointing, "look mommy, a puppy!" the little boy said, "can I pet puppy?"

Neku, Shiki, and Rhyme stopped, hearing the young boy's request. The mother looked up to them, smiling as she asked, "may my son pet your dog?"

"s-sure," said Neku.

"So the dog is yours?"

"Well… um… yes, just for today," Neku replied to the mother.

The young boy trotted up to Joshua's side and brushed his hand from his head down to his back, and repeating the process, petting him gently as if he was a cat, "puppy is soft!" said the child.

"My, what a beautiful dog you have, what's the breed," asked the mother. Neku rubbed the back of his head and answered, "We're not really sure, my friend just found it today near Hachiko," he said, gesturing towards Shiki, "… you haven't lost a dog recently, have you?"

"Oh no, we have no pets,"

"I see," said Neku feeling slightly disappointed.

"Look mommy! Look!" they heard the boy say and turned towards him. A few people who were passing by, slowed their pace, turning to the little one. The Women and girls giggling as the boy held the dog up by his front side, exposing his belly. In this case, Joshua was more embarrassed than he was uncomfortable in this position, not because the kid held him tightly around his ribs, but because the innocent young boy just had to make his point, literally pointing to it, "puppy is a boy!"

Sssssssssssssssssssss

_How dare he… _growled Joshua, laying flat on the grass. Neku and the others decided to take a break and have some ice cream; they made themselves comfortable on the green grass, facing the fountain pond. Joshua couldn't seem to get over what had happened hours ago. His ears flattened, lowering his head, trying to bury himself on the grass. He could picture the higher ups laughing at him right now, _the next time some kid wants to pet me I'll, I'll… _suddenly, a stick waving right in front of him caught his attention. He sat up now just noticing Shiki, "I wonder if he can fetch," she said with the stick in one hand and the half eaten ice cream in the other.

_You'll be disappointed dear._

She stood and took a few steps back, "ready," she said raising the stick in the air, "fetch!"

Joshua smirked and paid no attention to it. Even in this form, he still has control over himself. Until the stick hit the ground, that is. He turned his head slowly, his eyes dilated once he made eye contact with the stick, laying on the grass lifelessly. It was definitely mocking him.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssss

As the sun set upon the horizon, Neku led the group back to Hachiko where they will go their separate ways. Joshua strutted beside them, along with the stick that he continuously retrieved at the park. Shiki giggled at him, then faced Neku, "he's so cute. You'll have tons of fun with him Neku, even if he isn't that good at fetching."

_Fetching… fetching? _Joshua stopped and glanced down, seeing the edges of the stick his jaws were holding. He spat it out immediately and looked at it in disbelief, _WHAT? When did I. I don't, recall!_

"It sure was quiet without Beat around," Shiki said. Neku shrugged thinking how nice it was to have some peace and quiet for once. But he fully accepted that it did feel rather strange without their rambunctious friend. They never had a boring day when the older Bito was around, "I hope he can meet us tomorrow," said Neku, turning to face the statue. Rhyme nodded, "I'll check on that."

The two engaged in some small talk before saying their goodbyes. Joshua had gotten his last pats on the head from the two girls and followed his proxy to his house, his stomach growling as they reached it.

The music loving teen stopped on the sidewalk facing the gate. Beyond that stood a nice looking house, surrounded by fences that keep it safe; Joshua took a good look at the yard and saw how clean and green it was, and there was a line of flower bushes planted near the front side of the house. Neku took a small ring of keys out of his pocket, shuffled it to find the right one and opened the gates. After closing it, he led the way up the two steps and towards the door.

He unlocked it and called out as he walked right in, "I'm home."

No one answered.

"Hello?" Neku called again, shutting the door after Joshua, "looks like mom's not home. Must be six already," he sat on the floor and untied his shoes, then glanced at the dog and was surprised to see him wiping his paws on the welcome mat, _I guess… he knows good house manners too… _Neku thought. Joshua paused noticing Neku. He closed his eyes, jumped off the mat, then strutted down the hall, _it's not polite to stare at your guests._

The hallway led to, what looked like, a living room. To the side was a sofa and two chairs with a small lamp shelves on both sides of the sofa. In front of the sofa, is a brown coffee table, with a remote and a couple magazines slightly scattered. On the opposite side was the television, standing on a long shelf that held DVD's, the DVD player, and a stuffed baby duck plushy. Joshua padded in more and realized an opening to his right side that led to the kitchen, _spic'n span I see. _The thing that separated the kitchen and the living room is the stairs that led up to the second floor, "my father won't be home until tomorrow morning, my mother will be home later tonight," said Neku as he stepped away from the hall and made his way towards the kitchen, grabbing a good sized bowl from the cupboard. He walked to the sink and filled it up with cold water, then placed it on the ground.

_Why thank you Neku, I was getting a little parched, _he padded over to it, seeing his faded reflection, _now then… how do I do this?_

Neku raised his eyebrow, watching the dog stare at the bowl of water, "are you going to drink that?" he said. Joshua did respond. He lowered his muzzle until the cold water touched his nose, accidently sniffing portions of it up. He withdrew shaking his head, and proceeded to try again, _they use their tongues to drink, so if I just…_

He lowered his head again to the point where his nose was inches away from the water. He extended his long tongue into it and lapped it up. He repeated the process until he was satisfied.

A plate is then placed in front of him and he glanced down to see what it is. They smelled of a day old leftovers of fried tofu. Seasoned with garlic, chicken powder, shreds of green onions, and an unknown spice that Joshua has never smelled before, "I'm pretty sure that my mother won't mind, I don't even think she's going to miss it," said Neku who was shifting through the range of covered plates in the fridge until he found one that interested him. He placed it in the microwave and turned to see if the dog was eating the tofu. Instead, Neku found the dog sitting on the chair; _I prefer to eat at the table, if you don't mind. _Neku walked over and tilted the chair that Joshua was sitting on, "no pets allowed at the table," he hissed.

Joshua's ears flattened, glaring at Neku with a half growl. Feeling annoyed, he padded out of the kitchen, leaving the leftover tofu, _I wasn't that hungry anyways, _he thought as he made his way up the stairs. The second floor appeared like a mini living room, with the sofa around the corner of the stairs, facing another television on the opposite side of the wall, standing on a different shelf that held a few games and a playstation console. There were four doors on the second floor, one near the stairs, two on the side, and one near the TV.

One of the doors was slightly open and Joshua decided to take a peek inside. He pushed it open with his muzzle and observed his surroundings. The room wasn't so bad, if Neku knew how to properly maintain its cleanliness. The bookshelf near the door had a miniscule of dust and right next to the shelf is a stack of magazines. Portions of the floor were covered in clothes, in which he was glad to dodge when walking right in. he found the bed nicely made and the desk beside it is spotless.

Something caught his eye as he jumped up on the bed and surveying the desk. A phone, sitting right on the edge got his attention. He hopped on the desk, trying not to slide off, and grabbed the phone with his jaws.

Now back on the bed, Joshua placed the phone in front of him and pressed the talk button and the speaker button with his nails. He observed his surroundings, making sure no one was outside the door; _Neku's probably still devouring his dinner, and leaving me to starve, humph. _He took the phone again with him on the floor, and then began his difficult task of pushing numbers.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssss

"Ahh, what a day," said Sanae, turning the sign of his café from open to close. He stretched his arms then walked back around the counter again to count the money he made, which wasn't a whole lot since only a few customers stopped by.

As he was tapping buttons on the cash register, the phone next to it began ringing, "hmm? Must be the boss," he said picking up the phone, "Wildkat café, this is Sanae Hanekoma speaking, how may I help you-"

"I've had it,"

_Yep, I knew it, _thought Sanae, "hey Josh! How's it goin'? I take it you found someplace to chill for the night,"

"At Neku's,"

"Oh really? that's great!"

"Great? He's treating me like a beast!" said Joshua while he scratched behind his ear. Sanae chuckled and leaned on the counter, "you kind of are one right now boss."

"Anyways. I called because I need to ask a favor of you,"

"What's that?"

"My cell phone. I hid it at the underpass, could you retrieve and keep it with you for awhile?"

Sanae scrached behind his head, "where is it hidden?"

"Under a pile of trash. You'll figure it out; it's the only one there anyways," said Joshua, hearing his producer grumble over the phone, "why there?" Sanae questioned. He waited for an answer, but received no response from the composer, "Josh? J? Are ya there boss? Joshua."

Sanae's calls didn't register as the shocked composer was unable to speak at the moment. His plan to lay low had been going well for him, and at least in this form, none of the group could tell who he really was. That is, until he found Neku standing at the door, looking like he'd seen a ghost.

**( thank you everyone who read the first chapter : )**

**Im glad you all enjoyed it, even if my writing and editing is a bit sloppy xD **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! )**


	3. Tofu

**( And the next chapter is up. honestly I've been focusing more on this story than my other one xD**

**Made sure that some are capitalized as well. )**

The morning sun had risen, clearing up the night sky and bringing natural light to even the darkest parts of Shibuya.

One, being Neku's room, brightened moments later. He grunted and stretched, blinking his eyes open, _what… what happened?_

He looked around him and noticed that he was lying on the floor instead of his comfortable bed. The boy tried to recollect the bits and pieces missing from last nights events, but all he could remember was his delicious dinner that he gobbled up, and for some reason, tofu.

Feeling uncomfortable laying on his back, he turned to his side, hoping to go back to sleep. Instead, he was greeted by the familiar face of a white fluffy pooch, curled up just inches away from him. The bits and pieces of missing memory had returned to him in quick flashes, although, he wasn't sure if it was all a dream, or if it was real. He sighed and stared at the dog, chuckling afterwards, "that's crazy," he whispered quietly to himself, "must have been really tired last night, there's just… no way."

Just then, the dogs' eyes slowly open and looked up at the teen. Neku's eyes went wide, now having a closer look at the dog, the color of his eyes had confirmed it. Said dog smiled at him and spoke, "good morning sunshine."

Neku continued to stare for awhile but soon responded, by screaming as loud and long as his lungs could take.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssss

The desk toppled slightly as Neku clambered over it, not caring if anything fell and/or broke. Joshua approached him slowly, "calm down Neku. And keep it down, if you don't mind. Your parents are sleeping,"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" yelled Neku, "the sooner they see you, the faster they'll kick you out,"

"Harsh," Joshua turned away from him and shook his head, "and to think, that you wanted to see me again.

"That was a long time ago,"

"And even the days after, you still waited for me. Hoping that one of these days, I'll arrive at your little assembly point, am I correct?"

The teen gritted his teeth then glanced away, admitting to himself that Joshua was right, though he couldn't bring himself to say it in front of him, _sure, 'one of these days' and apparently today's the day, But, why? Of all the other times he could have visibly been there, why now?_ It took a few silent moments for him to calm himself down before he spoke again, "… why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why didn't you show up?" said Neku, looking back at him.

Joshua smirked, flicking his ears, "I did attend. I was there,"

"You know what I mean," Neku said quietly, hiding behind his collar in an attempt to cover his emotions. Joshua's smirk faded, seeing through Neku. He sighed and rearranged his thoughts, thinking of how he was supposed to reply to that. His muzzle opened, as if he was about to speak, until they heard a light knock on Neku's bedroom door, followed by a muffled voice, "Neku, is everything alright in there?"

By the lightness and pitch of the voice, Joshua assumed that the person is Neku's mother. Joshua sighed again, realizing his stay is over.

"I'm fine mom," Neku responded, which took Joshua by surprise, "I uhh… there was a bug and it freaked me out."

"Well please keep it down, your father is asleep. That reminds me; shouldn't you be in school honey?"

"s-school?" surprisingly, the alarm clock that was resting on Neku's desk, hadn't fallen off when he was climbing onto it. He took a quick peek and panicked, "crap! I woke up late!"

"No need to worry," whispered Joshua, "I had it all under control."

Neku turned his head slowly and gave Joshua the death glare, knowing for a fact, that if it came from Joshua, it would mean the opposite. All the composer did, was grin and wag his tail in which a few seconds later, had begun chasing it.

Sssssssssssssssssssssss

"Alright, what exactly have you done?" said Neku now sitting contently on his bed, still glaring at the white dog lying on the floor. Joshua licked his paw and looked up to meet his gaze, "you mean before I called your principle and told him you weren't attending today?"

Neku stayed silent as Joshua continued, "simple. I dragged you inside your room and gave us a little… privacy,"

"Privacy?"

Joshua sighed, disliking the fact that he had to explain it, "I shut the door so that your parents won't see your lifeless body, I'm sure they'll be frantic about that. Now if they witnessed you fainting like a little princess-"

Neku grabbed Joshua by the scruff, cutting him off. He raised him off the ground to his eye level and stared at him angrily. Neku didn't attempt to say anything until he slowly placed him back on the floor.

"Was there a point to that?" Joshua said.

Neku closed his eyes and breathed deep, letting his anger level decline, "if you were a human, I wouldn't have resisted punching you in the gut," he said in a harsh tone, "but, anyway… why are you. Well, not human?"

"Hmm?" hummed Joshua, scratching his own pointy ears, "you want to know? I'm not telling."

Neku watched him in silence and as Joshua could tell, he was eager for an exact answer, "lets just say that my 'bosses' are very dissatisfied about my actions during the game, and so gave me a punishment that came with a price,"

"… That must suck,"

"Come to think of it," Joshua looked up, thinking about his situation, "being a freeloader isn't half bad,"

"Why you little-"

A small growl interrupted Neku and Joshua, surprising them both. It had suddenly made sense to Neku, remembering what had happened that night in the kitchen before warming his food, "you didn't eat the tofu last night."

Ssssssssssssssssss

A woman with brownish wavy hair sat at the kitchen table reading the morning news paper with a cup of hot coffee. She wore a long white night gown underneath a pink robe with matching slippers. On the table were three plates of food, all covered with paper towels to keep it from collecting dust.

Neku peeked around the corner, seeing his mother completely in tune in what she's reading. He cleared his throat and entered the kitchen, his mother turning away from the paper and giving him a smile, "good morning Neku, I made some eggs, bacon, and fried tofu,"

_Ugh, I've had enough about tofu, _thought Neku, greeting his mother, "morning mom."

His mother stood up from her seat and made her way towards him. She looked seriously at Neku in which caused him some confusion. She placed her hand on his head, "are you sick? Is that why you're not in class today?"

"No mom," he said as he moved her hand away, "I'm fine, I just… I'll wake up early tomorrow,"

"Well you'd better," Neku's mother said, placing her hands on her hips. Neku grumbled and rolled his eyes as she went back to the table. He made his way to the cabinet that held plates and bowls.

Having a plate, he scooped some rice from the rice cooker then went to the table and placed some of the food on his plate, except the fried tofu.

He sat and enjoyed his breakfast for awhile, until the doorbell rang. Neku's mother took one last sip of her coffee and spoke, "must be the computer parts that your father ordered," she stood up again and walked out of the kitchen, which gave Neku some time to get Joshua's plate ready. He ran back to the cabinet and took an extra plate, then hurried to the table, placing two eggs and a few strips of bacon and tofu onto it. Before he headed up the stairs, he checked around the corner to see if his mother was still busy, which apparently she was. Taking advantage of that, he snuck the food up and walked casually to his room, ignoring his fathers loud snoring that came from the master bedroom near the stairs.

He knocked on his own door, to let Joshua know he's there, then opened it and found him curled up on his bed, "hey! Get!" said Neku, now thinking about the billions of dirt and loose fur that he's going to be sleeping on tonight. Joshua disobeyed and rolled all over the blanket, "but it's so comfy here,"

"Off, or I'm going to starve you to death."

Joshua paused and looked over to him, seeing a plate full of food. He jumped down from it and padded up to the boy, "thank you very much Neku," he said as Neku placed the plate on the ground before closing the door behind him. Joshua tilted his head in confusion, "I prefer to eat at a table, but your desk will suit just fine,"

"Sorry, rules are rules. No pets allowed on the furniture,"

"But I'm not a pet," Joshua argued.

Neku smirked knowing that, for now, Joshua is no longer a higher being than he or his friends and thought of the many ways he could take advantage of that for the time being, "not right now you're not, you're a dog, a loyal companion. Therefore, you have to do what I tell you,"

"Is that so?" Joshua glared, "don't forget who you're talking too, and just because I'm a type of animal, doesn't mean I don't have a mind of my own."

"Whatever," Neku kneeled over to take another good look at his form. Joshua was small, but not too small, about thirteen to fourteen inches or so. His feet weren't too little either, they were actually big, almost like rabbit feet, "what are you anyways? Some kind of giant Pomeranian?" Neku asked. Joshua shook his head, "incorrect. I am what they call, a Japanese Spitz,"

"You're a Japanese spit?"

"Spit**Z**. With a 'Z' Neku," Joshua corrected, putting more emphasis on the 'Z'. Neku nodded, and then stood up, letting Joshua continue, "my breed use to be the most popular in Japan. Because of my size and temperament, I make a great apartment dog. Unlike the American Eskimo, the Japanese Spitz is bred across most parts of the world, while the American Eskimo is rarely seen outside of the United States. Many kennel clubs recognize this breed except the American Kennel club, as the American Eskimo and the Japanese Spitz look almost exactly alike, but that's not to say you can't tell. You see, my breed only consists of one size while the American Eskimo has about three sizes."

Neku yawned and nodded his head again. Absolutely none of what Joshua said had registered his mind, and instead, tried to pretend that he knew what Joshua was saying, "Right. Well, see you after breakfast Joshua. And eat your food."

The slightly annoyed composer growled again at his response, wondering if he listened to a single thing he said. He moved over to the plate of food and moved some pieces over with his nose, _I'll have to quiz him when he comes back, and he really expects me to eat fried tofu, does he…_

Ssssssssssssssssss

Neku took his seat back on the table and began finishing his half eaten meal, his mother in the kitchen as well, washing some dishes, "oh! Neku dear," she said, "you know, last night when I came home, I went to the kitchen and found a small plate of my leftover tofu on the floor, along with a bowl of water."

He paused while stuffing a large spoonful of rice into his mouth, silently cursing himself for leaving it out. However, knowing that it wasn't his fault for wanting to check on the unwelcomed guest, he silently cursed Joshua instead.

He turned back to his mother and his mother turned back to him, giving him a confused look before she spoke, "have you been trying to eat the tofu off the ground?"


	4. Tending to those Memories: Part 1

**(and it appears! After a long while : D )**

"So, where are we going today?" asked Joshua as he trotted behind his spikey orange haired friend, wearing the same clothes that he wore yesterday and the whole night long. Neku didn't respond and just kept walking on, trying to get himself into a bubble of his own, his own solitude space that only he can enter. But that isn't the case with his talkative friend around. He silently wished that he had brought his favorite headphones, but he knew it was impossible since he worried more about getting Joshua out without getting caught by his mother. He knew that if they stayed long enough, his parents would eventually find out.

The plan was simple enough, all he had to do was stuff Joshua in a big enough box and pretend he was going to donate some of his old clothes and books. He was surprised that Joshua went along with it without protesting, and the mission was somehow a success. But it wasn't until after Neku trashed the box, that Joshua started to complain.

"By the way, your mothers tofu is, actually pretty good!" Neku heard Joshua say, and then nodded in agreement before replying, "Yeah, it is. Its good, but I don't like eating so much of it,"

"not the healthy type I presume,"

Neku sighed and kept on walking, thinking only of his destination. Joshua shook his head and spoke again, "you know, it's a little early to go to Hachiko. Shiki and the rest are still in school, so what will you do until then?"

Neku halted, now realizing how much time he had until he could meet his friends. He looked up at the sky questioningly, "I don't really know," Neku whispered. The purple eyed dog closed his eyes for a bit, also thinking of a way they could spend their time. Not going home wasn't an option because of Neku's parents, and it would be a little boring staying at Hachiko for most of the day. His ears perked up having finally thought of a place the two of them could spend the time, "how about Wildkat?" said Joshua.

The teen turned around with a surprised expression, "Wildkat? I thought the place was trashed,"

"Then you'd be very surprised," Joshua smirked as he led the way, "this time, you'll be the one following me,"

"Screw-" Neku paused still holding his fist up at him, then quickly calmed himself and groaned following the little dog with his hands in his pockets.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Having made his way to the Station Underpass, Hanekoma led himself further in until he saw a seaweed colored trash can resting on it's side near the wall. He ran over to it wondering what had occurred to the metal receptacle, seeing some scattered litter on the solid cement. He scanned around, moving pieces of the litter away, and then lifted the trash can so that he could get a better look inside. He slid some trash towards the side looking for Joshua's cell phone. But sadly, there was no sign of a yellow shiny thing. Disappointed, Hanekoma set the trash can down and stood there pondering, "He said under a pile of trash, and im pretty sure this is the trash he was talking about. It's been here for years," Hanekoma said to himself, "so then, why isn't it here? I'm sure the trash man hasn't come yet, he only gets this sorry tin can on Saturdays."

He closed his eyes and thought for awhile until his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a child's voice. He glanced over through his shades and saw two little boys and a little girl walking towards him, looking about 7 or 8 years of age. The much taller boy wore a sleeveless shirt with the numbers '08' written in yellow, and a red sports shorts. The smaller boy wore a solid blue t-shirt with much darker blue shorts and a red cap turned backwards. The girl was simple enough; she wore a pink dress and a pink ribbon, a small necklace heart charm is worn around her neck.

The smaller boy walked ahead of them, holding something shiny and yellow in his hands. Hanekoma blinked twice before realizing that the item he was holding was none other than the composer's mobile device.

The kid rose his hand and pointed over to the trash can, "I found it over there!" he said to his friends, "I found it there! Where those hobo is standing!"

_Who are you calling hobo?! _Hissed Hanekomas inner voice. He grinded his teeth before taking a few deep breaths, then began walking up to the three.

The small boy turned around and opened the phone, "it does this really cool thing where I press a button and things pop out of nowhere,"

"Gimme a break," said the taller boy, disbelieving his friend, "it's a phone Youhei, and it's what we use to call people, like our parents. You should just dunk it in the place where you found it,"

"I can prove it!" Youhei pouted as he randomly pressed one of them. By then, Hanekoma was already behind the boy; he gave a polite smile and reached for Youhei's shoulder, when suddenly a bike had crash landed on top of him. Youhei turned around upon hearing the crash as his friends jumped back in shock. Hanekoma groaned in pain, lifting his head off the ground and rubbing it, "s-sorry mister," Youhei apologized, "it… it just came out of nowhere,"

"Oh now you've done it," said the girl as she stomped her foot on the ground. Hanekoma raised his hand, keeping the girl from scolding the poor boy to death, "no worries kids, I'm stronger than I look," he said, lifting the bike off him, "listen here kid, that phone ya got is kinda special. I'm going to have to ask ya to hand it over so that I can return it to it's rightful owner."

He held out his hand, expecting them to see how wrong it is to take something that doesn't belong to them. He was sure that the concept went through their minds, or else they wouldn't be standing there looking hard at the phone. He wasn't, however, expecting them to escape.

The three kids ran past him, leaving Hanekoma utterly confused, "what a weirdo, haven't you heard of 'finder's keepers?'" said Youhei as he and his friends ran further down the tunnel. Hanekoma sighed and scratched the side of his head, "kids these days. Looks like I'll have to use the UG for this case," he smirked as he calmly walked after them, then suddenly disappearing into thin air.

Sssssssssssssssssssssss

"It's closed. Looks like Mr. H isn't here," said Neku. The two of them stood in front of wildcat café, peeking through the windows to see if anyone else was inside, "the lights are out, so now what?"

"This way," said Joshua as he padded around the corner, leading them into a small alley. He stopped and started to sniff at the brick walls of the café, then stood up on his hind legs and felt around with his paws, "there are loose bricks around here somewhere, if you could help me find it,"

"Loose bricks?" questioned Neku as he felt along the wall and gently pushing each one. Joshua moved inch by inch, feeling them as well, "lower Neku, they are lower to the ground."

Neku went at it for a short while until he finally stopped and decided to step back, "if this is some trick to make me look like an idiot…" he said, expecting Joshua to say something back. he blinked when he heard no sassy reply from the prissy kid, and turned his way. Joshua went on as if he hadn't heard a thing.

He stepped sideways and tried to push each brick he could reach, while tending to the memories that his mind couldn't keep away.

_~flashback~_

_Young seven and a half year old Joshua was running around the streets of Shibuya without any proper wear for the hard rainy weather. His shoes were no good when it came to keeping the water out, and his school clothes, which are a plain solid blue uniform, are soaking wet. _

_He ran on, ignoring the dampness of his clothes and hair, until he reached the quiet streets of Cat Street. Joshua stopped under a tree to give himself a breather before continuing on towards his destination, which was only a few blocks up from where he stood. He stopped in front of a café named Wildkat, and peeked through the windows to see if anyone was in. even though the place had been empty for what seemed like a very long time, it had always looked so well kept inside, always clean and sparkly, even without the lights. He heard rumors around the playground that the Wildkat Café was haunted, the lights would turn on during some point of the day, but no one would be seen inside. Some people would go in, only to disappear, and reappear when they exit, and the smell of coffee would linger strongly, until the lights turn off again._

_Joshua didn't have a problem with the strong smell of coffee, but he was always curious about the paranormal events that led people to believe that this abandoned café was haunted. That's why he promised himself that today would be the day he investigated._

_He checked his surroundings first before placing his bag on the ground and taking a bobby pin out from it. He gently slid the pin inside the keyhole and jiggled it around until he heard a click, signaling that it was open. Joshua grinned and tried to turn the knob. Using a bobby pin is a very clever idea to open a locked door, in which, takes a lot of skill and patience. This door, however, is much different._

"_Huh? What gives?" said Joshua as he tried turning the knob. He jiggled the pin again, hearing the same click. He turned the knob again, but no success, "is this door broken or something?" said the frustrated Joshua, now pushing and pulling on the door, "maybe it's just old."_

_He soon gave up on it and thought about another way to get in. Joshua took his backpack and ran around the corner, scanning the wall for any sign of an open window. He was thrilled seeing one, but it was higher up from where he was standing, and from what he could guess, it is closed. Joshua frowned but continued walking along to see if there was anything else._

_Nothing._

_Or so he thought._

_He stared at a spot on the brick wall that caught his attention. A small bundle of them is a lighter color than the ones that make up the whole building. The cement that was holding them together looked as if it was dripping away. Joshua tested the cement with the bobby pin, and confirmed it, "whoever tried putting these together is obviously not very bright. This cement is definitely too soft to hold… but I wonder…"_

_Joshua threw the pin aside and gently pushed one of the lower bricks in then did the same for another. The other bricks held for a moment, but crumbled down one by one, revealing the now uncovered hole, that led right under the café. He slid in and since the space is slightly shorter than he was, Joshua had to crawl his way through the darkness, focusing on the faded speck of light that came through an air vent. Once there, he peeked through the bars and tried to figure out where he was at, "I see… a top of a fridge. And I think those are cabinets. I guess I'm in the kitchen."_

_He observed the vent, feeling the sides if there were any nuts or bolts that he needed to take out. Oddly, there were none. Joshua blinked and decided to try his luck by pushing it._

_At first, it didn't budge. But then, as he pushed harder, the vent started to give in, and lifted until it stood straight up, at a ninety degree angle. _

_Joshua stuck out his head and checked his surroundings. It was dark, but there was enough light for him that he can make out shapes and colors. Guessing that no one was around, he climbed out of the hole, and took another look around. In the back of the kitchen was a door that led to who knows where. And on the opposite side led out of the kitchen, where all the action is… if there was any._

_Joshua walked out of the kitchen and up to the counter where he saw the cashing machine. He turned and saw that the only light the café had, was from the pastry shelf at the end of the counter._

_The five shelves held an assortment of pastries, from cupcakes to cheesecakes to roll cakes and all different sweets with different designs and flavors. He didn't care about any of them actually. But his eyes lit up at one particular pastry. A small pie looking dessert, filled with yellowy goodness surrounded by soft bowl like crust._

_The pastry shelf held a pan covered with egg tarts, Joshua's favorite. _

_His eyes sparkled, staring at the yellowy custard inside, 'those sure look yummy,' the young child thought to himself as he opened the screen. He breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet smell of the pastries, "hmm, they smell almost… fresh," he said with a surprised look, "someone must have brought them in around noon… weird."_

_Joshua took one of the egg tarts and observed it. The crust was smooth and the custard inside held well. He then brought it up to his mouth and took a small bite of it, chewing carefully._

_Sssssssssssssssssssss_

_A few days passed by, and Joshua had been coming to the café more frequently through his secret passage way, which after leaving, would always stack them up in place. _

_Nobody has caught him yet, yet alone, seen anyone. But today's visit was different from all the rest._

_Having made his way inside again, he shut the air vent, backed up towards a corner, and curled up into a ball. His hands curled up into a fist and his eyes shut tightly, "they are real," he said, "I saw them, the ones with wings… those people who call themselves reapers and players. So why can't they see them too?"_

_An hour passed and Joshua felt himself become more relaxed enough to make his way towards the pastry shelf. The trays would always have the same amount of pastries every day during the days that he visited; it didn't matter how much he took, it was always going to be filled up the next day. Today, considering that he ate at least seven of the egg tarts yesterday, the tray was left as it was, with seven missing egg tarts. Joshua tilted his head, "why isn't it filled?"_

_He stared in confusion, until he felt himself being lifted off the floor harshly by the back collar of his uniform._

_In panic, Joshua screamed and kicked the air, trying to wiggle himself free of whoever was holding him, "so YOU'RE the one who's been gobbling my pastries… and without paying for them too," he heard a voice say behind him. _

_The lights flickered on and at that moment, little Joshua tried desperately to get on his feet and run for the nearest exit, though he knew it was impossible to do so._

"_Let me go! Or else," he yelled, hearing the man chuckle behind him._

"_Whoa there kiddo, calm down. You're going to hurt yourself," the man said as he gently placed Joshua down. As soon as he did so, Joshua swiftly turned around, glaring at the man, and looking as though he was ready for a fight. Until he saw those feathery wings on the man with short black hair, sunglasses, a white ironed long-sleeved uniform covered with a black vest, and matching black pants and slippers._

_~flashback ends~_

"Joshua, this one's loose."

Joshua shook his head and looked over to Neku, "well done," he said to the orange haired teen. Together they removed the blocks, revealing a small hole, big enough for Neku and Joshua to fit in, "see that small shade of light over there? All we need to do is go towards it and up and we'll be inside in no time,"

"Did you dig this yourself?" said Neku and Joshua could only laugh at that, "That's quite funny Neku dear. Anyways, ladies first," he grinned. Neku growled and grabbed him by the scruff before shoving him in.

**(I had to cut this chapter off because it was getting too long, so there will be a part 2 of it soon :3**

**And yes, I haven't been updating in a while, a lot has happened, and the holidays are coming around so my busy days will be even more busier x3**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Part 2 will be out soon) **


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